Philippines election: Is democracy at stake?

On Wednesday, May 4 at 19:30 GMT:
This week the Philippines will head into the final days of a presidential election that some analysts say could alter the state of liberal democracy in the Asian nation.

Leading the polls is Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose name carries his father’s legacy of military dictatorship. In a country hard hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, many Filipinos are increasingly nostalgic for a return to a Marcos presidency, despite its past association with human rights abuse and corruption.

The top challenger to Marcos Jr. is current Vice President and independent candidate Leni Robredo, whose “pink revolution” campaign for democracy, women’s rights and anti-violence has gained traction with young voters embittered with the past six years of President Rodrigo Duterte and his war on drugs.

In this episode of The Stream, we’ll discuss what Filipinos want in their next president and what’s at stake in this year’s election.

On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Lian Buan, @lianbuan
Journalist, Rappler

Richard Heydarian, @Richeydarian
Academic & columnist

Regine Cabato, @RegineCabato
Reporter, The Washington Post